(P) Inferre bella

finitimis ac povulos fi. bi non mo estos fola

regnandi cupiditate conterere, quid aliud quam grande latrocinium nominandum eftì Aug.

Parthians, who had done the Romans no Injury. Appian. And would to God Chriftian Princes would imitate this Heathen equity and moderation, and not engage in Blood and Rapine for every flight Cause, to enlarge their Dominions, or fatisfie their ambition or revenge; for fuch Wars are no other than great Robberies, as St.Aug.calls them (p); and they who affail their quiet Neigh bours, are the Enemies of mankind, and have a fad account to make to the maker of all men for all the blood that is fpilt on both fides and there is not a bafer affront can be offered to the Majefty of Heaven, nor can there be a greater abuse put upon Religion, than to make Te Deums be fung, because they have defroyed many innocent poor Chriftians, it being like the Hypocrify of thofe Heathens, which the Poet exclaims against, who praised the Gods, when they had made a profperous Robbery and came off safe. How can they praife God for their deliverance from dangers, who wil fully calt themselves into them? or how can they bless him for Peace, who would not let their Neighbours live quietly Our excellent Form therefore doth fuppofe, that we fought only to fecure our Native Country, or to preferve our undoubted Rights (9) attempted by fome unjuft and cruel Foe: and when our God hath delivered us from their attempts, we may then with great piety and comfort yield him all poffible Praise and Thanksgiving; and to affift us therein, it will be neceffary for us to reflect upon our late grievous and apparent Dangers, wherewith we were encompassed on every

(q) Fortitudo, que wel bello tuetus à barbaris patriam, vel domi defendit infir

mos, vel à latronibus focios, Fl na juftitia eft.Amb.de Offic.

fide. We have been in danger of invafion and spoil, of Captivity or death; we lately had a powerful, politick, and malitious Foe before us, we had many uncertain friends in the Nations round about us,and it may be ma ny Traitors among our own felves; nor were our prez parations fufficient to fecure us, they were more likely to get the Victory over us than we over them; and we may confider, that if they had prevailed, their fury and rage would have brought horrible miferies upon us and all ours; but God hath delivered us, and we do yet enjoy our Lives and Liberties, our Eftates, our Religion, our Trade, and all other Comforts: Oh! what praise is fufficient to return for all this?

S.V. We acknowledg it thy Goodness, that we were not delivered over as a prey unto

them.]

Thofe ravenous and falvage beafts, which hunt and devour other Creatures, tearing their fleth, and drinking their blood, are made the Embleme of Tyrants, and fuch as delight in War,who are compared to Lions, and Bears, Wolves and Tygers: in purfuance to which Metaphor the Church in David's time faith, Praifed be the Lord, who hath not given us over for a Prey unto their Teeth, Pfal. cxxiv.6. from whence we have taken this Thanksgiving. We did not defign to make a Prey of them, but they of us; they defigned to conquer us,and enflave us, to poffefs our Eftates, deftroy our Country, murder us and our friends, and do all acts of barbarous out-rage to us. Had they prevailed we must have expected no other Mercy than we should do from a hungry Lion;for they would have swallowed us up quick,when they were fo wrathfully difpleafed at us, Pfal.cxxiv.5. but our moft gracious God hath refcued us out of the very Lion's mouth: fo that we have great reafon to acknowledg

our

our deliverance to be an act of his free goodness; had he not infatuated their counsels, and defeated their defigns, weakened their power, and blafted their endeavours,they might have got the victory for any policy or strength, which we had to oppofe them with;befides we have finnedagainft our God,and if we had never fo much counsel and ftrength,he might juftly have made it useless tous, and might have given the victory to our Enemies,merely to make them Executioners of his wrath upon us for our Iniquities,and doubtless they would have proved ve ry fevere ones; fo that we have cause to acknowledg it was his Goodness,and Mercy alone that faved us from them, we cannot arrogate any thing to our felves,but muft afcribe all the praise to him. It was a prudent Custom a mong the Romans for the General, who did triumph, to Lay bis Triumphal Crown in the lap of Jupiter, or to offer it to fome Temple,thereby to acknowledg the Victorywsgiven them by the benefit of the immortal God,to whom there fore the Praife was wholly due. Al.ab Alex.l. 6.c. 6. Even fo we do here take the Crown from our own heads, and lay it down at Gods feet, acknowledging it to be his goodness alone, that caufed our fafety.

S.VI.

1.Eleeching thee Bill to continue fuch thy mer cy towards us,that all the world may know, that thou art our Saviour, and mighty Deliverer, through Jefus Chrift car Lojd. Amen.

Although the Cloud feem to be difperfed at prefent ; yet it may gather again,and either the fame Enemies may rally to revenge their defeat, or fome new ones may arife: wherefore we muft not only give thanks for our paft deliverance; but having found the felicity of being under the divine Protection, we muft alfo beg the continuance of fuch mercy towards us, and pray, that he who hath been a Tower of defence to us now, will pleafe to be our strong bold, whereunto we may always refort in like danger,

1

danger,Pfal.lxxi.1. to the end that all the world (as well as these our late foes)may know that the Lord is our Saviour. And this Petition is very likely to prevail,because God hath promised to do the fame thing,and for the ve ry fame end,I will fave thyChildren(faith he)-And all Flefh fhall know,that I the Lord am tby Saviour, and thy Redeemer,the mighty one of Jacob (or as the old Tranflations have it) thy Saviour and thy mighty Redeemer O Jacob,Ifai.xlix.25.6. And upon this ground the Servants of God in all ages have begged deliverances by this very Argument,fo David,Help me O Lord my God, O fave me according to thy Mercy; and they shall know,how that this is thy hand, and that thou Lord haft done it,Pfal. cix.25,26. And thus alfo Hezekiah prays, Ifai.xxxvii. 20. And fo do the Offices of the Greek Church upon this occafion (r). And by this means we fhall not only be fafe,but God will be glorified alfo ; for fome may ask us,as the Perfian Emperor did Daniel, Is your God whom you ferve continually able to deliver you Dan.vi.20.but that queftion will be effeЄtually answered by God's frequent giving illuftrious Evidences of his Mercy and Power in our conftant Deliverances, and withal we may hope it will difcourage our most daring Enemies, to fet upon us, when they fee they can do nothing against us. The very obftinate Egyptians finding the ill fuccefs of all their attempts againft Ifrael, had fo much prudence,as to fay, Let us flee from the face of Ifrael, for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians, Exod.xiv.25. And if God's Protection have this effect, he shall be glorified, and we abundantly fatisfied, who defire not our Enemies deftruction, but only our own peace and fafety, which the Lord grant unto us for Jefus fake, Amen."

The

The Paraphrafe of this Thanksgiving.

Almighty] Lord of Hofts, the [God] of battel, [who art a] greater fecurity to all that truft in thee than a [trong Tower,] or a fortress of defences] tince they may be forced or betrayed, but thou art an invincible fafeguard [unto thy Derbants,] who truft in thee [from the face, the fury and force [of their Enemies,] be they never fo many, or fo mighty; [we] thy Servants in this Nation, having been lately preferved by thy mercy do [pteld thee] the Tribute of most hearty [paile and thanksgiving,] which thou haft juftly deferved at our hands [for our deliverance from] the miferies of this late War, and all [thole great and apparent dangers] of Invafion and Spoil, Captivity and Death [wherewith we were ]fo defperately befet and [entompalleo,] while our enraged Foes lay against us on every fide. And here [we] do acknowledg,it] was not our own Policy or Power, our Innocence or our Merits, but [thy goodnels] which preferved us from all thofe miferies, and kept us [that we were not] according to our defervings [delivered over] by thy Juftice [as a pey unto them to devour us, and execute their utmost malice upon us. Having therefore found the benefit of thy Protection, we will ftill pray for the like favour, [befeeching thee, who haft hitherto helped us, [to continue] ftill to grant us [fuch] wonderful deliverances through [the mercies, which have been so often expreffed [toward us:] For we hope by the frequent manifeftations of thy care of our fafety it may come to pafs, [that all the world, Jas well as our late Foes,[may] come to [know that thou,] O Lord, wilt ever take our part, because thou [art our Saviour, and] we hope, thou ever wilt be our [mighty Deliverer,] fo that

they